1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for preparing index prints, and in particular relates to an apparatus and a method for preparing index prints for forming, on one print, all image frames corresponding to one roll of photographic film.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One roll of photographic film has a plurality of frames capable of use for photographing. Several types are available, such as those for photographing 12, 24 or 36 shots, depending on the number of frames. An index print capable of corresponding to photographed images has been hitherto given to the customer in some cases to indicate the contents of the images photographed on one roll of photographic film. On the index print, images of a predetermined number of frames in a predetermined size, for example, 25 images (5.times.5) have been formed by using a size of one sheet of paper. Therefore, one index print has been given to the customer in case of photographic films for photographing 12 or 24 shots, and two index prints have been given to the customer in case of a photographic film for photographing 36 shots.
Accordingly, when the index print(s) having images of the predetermined number of frames in the predetermined size is (are) used, 13 frames with no recorded image or 1 frame with no recorded image remain in the index print for the photographic films for photographing 12 shots or 24 shots, and 14 frames with no recorded image remain on a second index print for the photographic film for photographing 36 shots. Thus the entire surface of the index print has not been utilized effectively.
For this reason, an apparatus for preparing index prints has been proposed, in which the contraction factor of the size of frames to be recorded on an index print is changed so as to include all photograph frames in one index print (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 1-96634).
However, in the conventional apparatus for preparing index prints, index frames become small as the number of frames increases, because the size of images formed on the index print varies depending on a number of photographed image frames. Thus a user has sometimes experienced problems in recognizing a desired image frame.